Jack Bauer

Template:Infobox 24 Character Jack Bauer is the protagonist of the United States television series 24, in which he has trained and worked in various capacities as a government agent, including US Army Delta Force, LAPD SWAT, and finally the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) Los Angeles. Within the 24 storyline, he is a key member of the latter and is often noted as the best agent CTU has. Jack's job usually involves him helping prevent major terrorist attacks on the United States, saving both civilians and governments. On many occasions Jack does so at great personal expense, as those he thwarts subsequently target him and his loved ones. Actor Kiefer Sutherland portrays Jack Bauer in the television show and video game, and in 2006 signed on for at least three further seasons. Bauer's use of torture during interrogation is often cited as an inspiration for CIA interrogators.

Concept and creation

24 co-creator Joel Surnow commented that they did not have any actors in mind for the part; "We didn’t really know who it was. We were casting a lot of people and then we heard Kiefer Sutherland’s name and thought, that’s Jack Bauer." Initially Sutherland had reservations about playing Bauer, stating, "I thought, 'This is really clever and different, so there's no way they're going to pick it up. But I could use the money, and no one will ever see it'."

Sutherland must produce around 18 hours of film each season, "which is like making 12 movies, so there are going to be mistakes along the way, but I am incredibly surprised by how many things work well as a result of working at that pace."

Sutherland signed a contract to play the role of Bauer for three more seasons for $40 million. Sutherland is also an executive producer of 24.

Characterization

Jack Bauer was born in Santa Monica, California, on February 18, 1966, to Philip Bauer, who placed his livelihood in his company, BXJ Technologies. The name of Jack's mother is unknown. Jack had one brother, Graem Bauer. Philip originally planned to give the company to Jack , but as Jack said in Day 6, "I just had to go my own way." His best friend is Agent Martin "Q" Jack.

Jack has a Bachelor's Degree in English from the University of California at Los Angeles and a Master's Degree in Criminology and Law from the University of California at Berkeley. He entered the U.S. Army and eventually joined the elite Delta Force (Among his honors are the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, and the Legion of Merit). He left the Army with the rank of Captain, according to his service record. Following his career in the Army, Jack worked for both the Los Angeles Police Department's Special Weapons and Tactics unit and for the Central Intelligence Agency as a case officer in the clandestine service. He is recruited into the Counter-Terrorist Unit (CTU) by Christopher Henderson.

He has demonstrated proficiency with weapons, resistance to interrogation, and the ability to understand Spanish, Russian, and Serbian.

Jack Bauer has been a subjects of various jokes that portray him as an uncompromising superbeing, in the same style as Chuck Norris Facts.

Appearances

24: Season 1

During season 1, Bauer's wife Teri and his daughter Kim are kidnapped by Victor Drazen, a man Bauer believes he killed in a covert mission called Operation Nightfall in Kosovo two years earlier. Jack must try to rescue them, while simultaneously preventing an assassination attempt on presidential-candidate Senator David Palmer. Erroneously believing that Kim is murdered by Drazen, Jack kills Drazen and his associates. As Bauer is returning to CTU, Nina Myers, whom he knows to be a traitor, kills Teri before being arrested. Jack cries with Teri in his arms to end the first season.

24: Season 2

Eighteen months after the events of Day 1 and the loss of his wife Teri, Jack is asked to be brought back into action by George Mason and CTU at the request of the NSA. Jack, who is still seemingly overwhelmed by his wife's death and the fact that his daughter Kim wants nothing to do with him, refuses as he holds CTU responsible for what happened to Teri. However, at the request of now-President Palmer, he goes to CTU, where he learns that there are terrorists in Los Angeles who plan to blow up a nuclear bomb in the city sometime within the course of that day.

24: Season 3

Three years later, Jack returns from an undercover sting operation of Ramon Salazar, a Mexican drug lord. While the operation is a success and results in the arrest of Salazar, it comes at a heavy price. Bauer ends up with a heroin addiction in order to maintain his cover with the Salazars, and attempts to fight it by going "cold turkey". Ramon's brother, Hector, insists that Bauer be kept alive to buy the Cordilla virus and resell them to underground organizations worldwide for a one billion dollar profit. Eventually Bauer wins the trust of Ramon Salazar but learns that another buyer is in play, headed by Nina Myers. The sale of the virus goes bad, but Nina Myers is taken into custody and is eventually executed by Bauer after he deems her useless. He then learns that the man behind the distribution of the virus and the attacks is Stephen Saunders, one of Jack's former team members presumed dead from Operation: Nightfall in Kosovo. Eventually Jack and Chase Edmunds capture Saunders and retrieve the vials of virus. On their last retrieval, Jack is forced to make a decision to cut off the hand of Chase using an axe to gain the final virus device; Chase had fastened the device to his hand with a titanium clamp to prevent the escape of the suspect carrying it. After leaving the hospital following Chase's decision, Jack takes a moment in his parked SUV. For the last remaining minutes in the 24 hours since the day began, Jack sits alone in his car, crying.

24: Season 4

Three months later, Jack is fired by Erin Driscoll due to his heroin addiction acquired prior to Season 3. He finds employment with the Department of Defense and becomes involved in a relationship with the daughter of the Secretary of Defense, Audrey Raines. After Jack is called back in CTU to help them stop a terrorist mastermind named Habib Marwan, Audrey witnesses Jack interrogate her estranged husband Paul Raines, which makes her question whether or not she can be in a relationship with him. Later in the day, Jack is told by former President David Palmer, whom Charles Logan brought in as an advisor, to invade the Chinese consulate and extract a man named Lee Jong who has key information. However, the Chinese consul was accidentally killed by friendly fire. The Chinese soon learn that Jack was behind the attack, forcing Jack to fake his own death and go into hiding in order to avoid being taken into Chinese custody, and also as protection from being killed by U.S. government elements to prevent his revealing of military secrets to the Chinese.

24: Season 5

After Michelle Dessler and David Palmer are killed, and Tony Almeida is presumed dead by assassins, Jack is forced out of hiding. He discovers that this was the assassins plot: to frame him for the murders. Chloe O'Brian is saved by Jack as assassins attempt to kill her as well. Jack interrogates the assassin and retrieves information that they were setting him up. Terrorists take over an airport terminal, but CTU learns that the hostage situation was a decoy to obtain military-grade Sentox VX1 Nerve Gas. Jack follows a series of leads which takes him to Christopher Henderson, a man Jack used to work under at CTU. Jack goes undercover when the terrorists try to release a canister at the Sunrise Hills shopping mall, and he stops the attempt against the orders of the President. At the end of the season Jack is captured and imprisoned by the Chinese for his actions from Day 4.

24: Season 6

Over the last 11 weeks, the United States has been a target of non-stop terrorist attacks and bombings, in public buildings and transportation. Jack is released from China 20 months after his capture at the end of Day 5. It is revealed that he is being released only to be handed over to Abu Fayed. However, Jack manages to escape and tries to warn President Wayne Palmer of Hamri Al-Assad's innocence, a man whom Fayed convinced the US was behind the attacks. Jack saves Assad from an air strike, and the two are able to thwart a bombing attempt on a subway and rescue a civilian family held hostage. As the events unfold, painful memories of his murdered squadron leads Curtis Manning to attempt to kill Assad, leaving Jack no choice but to shoot Curtis in order to get more of the information they need from Assad, sending Jack into an emotional state of overwhelming grief. Jack attempts to quit from CTU, but a nuclear bomb explodes, decimating Valencia, California. He realizes he cannot stop what he's doing until he stops Fayed once and for all. New leads point to an involvement with a company run by his father Phillip Bauer and brother Graem. Jack interrogates Graem for information, but before he can get a lead Phillip Bauer sees his son as too much of a risk to reveal his involvement and kills Graem himself (under the impression Graem had a heart attack from the drugs). Jack discovers his father's involvement and trails him to a hotel, where he is holding his grandson Josh Bauer hostage. Phillip agrees to trade Josh's life for Jack's. As Phillip is about to execute his son, Jack makes a last sentiment, claiming that he became what he did for his own reasons, and not to spite his father. Phillip leaves before shooting Jack, who eventually manages to thwart Fayed's nuclear plans, killing him before any more bombs could detonate.

Jack is told that Audrey Raines died looking for him in China, but later discovers that she has actually been kidnapped by the Chinese. He completes an exchange with the Chinese and manages to save Audrey, as well as his nephew who gets mixed up in the events when Phillip Bauer returns. Jack tearfully bids goodbye to Audrey after being told by her father, James Heller, that he cannot give her good enough care. The season ends with Jack staring out into the horizon, uncertain of his future.

24: Redemption‎

Jack finds himself traveling the world and winds up in Africa, where he gets caught up in a military coup. Meanwhile, President Noah Daniels (Powers Boothe) is seeing Allison Taylor (Cherry Jones) into office, when Tom Lennox (Peter MacNicol) informs her of the crisis in Africa.

24: Season 7

Jack Bauer will return in Day 7 of 24, in which he is on trial for torture. He is approached by FBI Agent Renee Walker, who tells him of a possible threat to the country that is being forwarded by Jack's old friend, Tony Almeida, who has been presumed dead for nearly 5 years after the events of Day 5. CTU will not play a role on the show for the first time ever, although both Chloe O'Brian and Bill Buchanan will make appearances in Jack's aid.

Other appearances

As the principal character in 24, Jack plays a prominent role in the television series as well as the video game. Jack is the main protagonist of the 24 series and the books, and has appeared in every episode to date.

24 mobisodes

24: Day 6 Debrief, sponsored by American Express, takes place 35 hours after the nuclear device exploded in Valencia, California. The series consists of 5 segments, no longer than three minutes in length each. Two agents, Agent Ramirez and Agent Moss, track Jack down to a hotel room and ask him to come to District for debriefing about the recovery of the tactical nukes. The Debrief consists of Agent Ramirez and other agents attempting to discover more about the supposed-death of an undercover agent, Marcus Holt, who disappeared shortly into Jack's imprisonment in China at the hands of Cheng Zhi. Since Holt was involved with the Chinese government, it is believed that Jack leaked information that led to his identity being discovered and execution. At the end of the series, the agents announce that they have no conclusive evidence about his involvement, but Ramirez promises to keep a close eye on him until he is certain. Jack tells Ramirez that if he ever sees him again, he better say "The Lord's Prayer", because it will mean he's come to kill him.

With that, Bauer is released from custody and the interrogation ends.

24: The Game

Bauer in 24: The Game which takes place six months after Day 2.

24: The Game takes place between Day 2 and 3. Jack begins waiting outside the ship where terrorists are going to release a Ricin Bomb in the water supply. A CTU Team triggers an alarm causing Jack and his team to storm the ship. Jack and his team finds the whole ship's crew dead in a cargo hold. He runs into an enemy from his past, known as Peter Madsen. It is unclear what the story is between them, but it is stated that he framed Jack's family for a vile crime, this is hinted with Jack saying to him: "Eight years ago, my family was not involved". Madsen also states that he no longer takes orders from Jack. Most likely it's hinted that Madsen was under Jack's command either in the army or in an SWAT team, and Madsen betrayed Jack. Madsen kidnaps Jack's daughter Kim, and later Kate Warner. Jack finally kills Madsen in the end when he tries to escape by shooting up his speedboat with an M-80 assault rifle, causing it to explode. He also kills Max, who was holding Kate hostage, saving her life. However Max managed to shoot Jack once before dying, the second of two times he was shot in the final hour of the game, the first time being by Madson. As a result, Chase Edmunds takes Jack to the hospital via helicopter.

24: The Movie

Kiefer Sutherland will portray Jack Bauer in an upcoming feature film adaptation of 24.

24 action figures

In January 2007, McFarlane Toys announced plans for a line of 24 action figures. Both are packaged as boxed sets and re-create scenes taken directly from the series. The first figure was released in August 2007, with the second released in November 2007. According to Sutherland in Wizard Magazine after the announcement, another Bauer figure had been designed at one point in the past and given to him to approve the likeness.

24 Comics

IDW has released a series of Comic Books based on the adventures of Jack Bauer and other members of the 24 Cast. 24's Comic License is published by IDW Publishing

• 24: Nightfall — A tale shedding more light on the background and characters of Day 1, including Victor Drazen. Written by J.C. Vaughn and Mark L. Haynes
• 24: Cold Warriors — A original tale of intrigue featuring Jack Bauer and Chloe O'Brian, set in Alaska. Written by Beau Smith and Steve Bryant

The Simpsons

In the episode 24 Minutes (it's a title parody of 24), Jack Bauer and Chloe O'Brian appear in an interference of the cellphone of Bart

Law and Politics

American politicians and lawyers have taken to using Jack Bauer and his actions as a way of framing the debate on American interrogation techniques. He also would vote for Barack Obama.

In a legal conference in Ottawa, Canada, for example, US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia took offense at a Canadian judge's remark that his nation did not consider what Jack Bauer would do when setting policy. "Scalia shot back: "Jack Bauer saved Los Angeles.... He saved hundreds of thousands of lives... Are you going to convict Jack Bauer? Say that criminal law is against him? 'You have the right to a jury trial?' Is any jury going to convict Jack Bauer? I do not think so."

Critical reception

Reactions by critics to Sutherland's performance have been very positive with six Emmy nominations, including a win in 2006 for his work in the Season 5. He also won a Golden Globe for the role in 2002.

External links

• Jack Bauer's Official Character Profile

Unexpected use of template {{24}} - see Template:24 for details.